This invention relates to a multiple peak tent structure whose top is supported by multiple masts resting on a cable network. The cable network is attached to the frame structure resulting in a tent having no supporting poles that extend to the ground in the covered area.
The conventional designs of tent structures used to span relatively large areas often suffer from limitations induced by weight, cost, mechanical complexity and ease of erection. Further, modular designs where a plurality of single tents of a uniform design are joined to span a large area, often suffer from the additional limitations of poor mobility within the interior of the tent and poor water drainage from the roofs of the adjoined tents.
Many of the conventional designs used to span large areas, include tent structures that utilize a supporting framework of trusses or arches upon which the roof fabric is attached. Often, complex mechanical means and adjustments are necessary to introduce the pre-tensile forces required by the structure. Further, these structures are relatively complex in construction and costly to manufacture. Erecting structures of this design is labour intensive and often requires the use of specialized equipment.
Other common tent structure designs require that the interior pole, or poles, supporting the roof extend to the ground. This design results in the inhibition of free movement under the tent structure. Also, these tent structures often employ costly and complex means of introducing pre-tension into the canopy necessary to allow the tent structure to remain stable in high winds. Again, erecting a tent structure of this design is a labour intensive exercise.
A small tent manufactured and marketed by International Tentnology Corp. of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, and sold under the trade-mark xe2x80x9cMarqueexe2x80x9d has overcome many of the limitations from which the designs mentioned earlier suffer. The roof of the peaked tent is supported by a pole resting on a series of cables. The cables are connected to the top of the vertical corner support poles at diagonally opposite corners of the tent. This design allows free movement under the tent without the interference of ground extending interior poles. Further, this tent design is easy to manufacture, stable in high winds and easily erected. However, this design does not allow a single tent to span relatively large areas. If a tent of this design were constructed to span a large area, the required roof height would attract high wind loads thus making it unstable. To counter the instability, the cable tension would have to be unreasonably high or the roof supporting cables would have to be lowered into the interior of the tent so far so as to cause an obstruction of the interior space.
UK Patent Application No. GB 2,267,919A issued to Teese discloses an erectable structure having a cover supported by eight rigid vertical spacers whose bottom ends are tied to a plurality of flexible tie cables.
Teese""s structure is complex to erect and lacks the rigidity of a solid perimeter frame. Further, the flexible tie cables and rigid spacers of Teese""s structure extend into the interior of the structure limiting the usable interior space especially near the periphery.
PcT international Publication No wo 88/05489 issued to Speare et al. discloses a tent structure having a canopy supported by foldable peripheral frame and a central mast structure. The structure disclosed by Speare et al. is complex to erect and is relatively heavy requiring a plurality of solid beams and supports to tension the canopy. Speare et al. does not disclose a canopy support structure that consists simply of a cable network supported from the peripheral frame by radially directed cables. The cable network of Speare does not itself provide vertical support to a canopy. Further, the structure disclosed by Speare et al. requires the use of storm cables to stabilize the structure in windy conditions. These storm cable cause substantial obstruction of the interior space of the structure.
European Patent Application EP-A-0161878 issued to Geiger et al. discloses a cable truss dome constructed of a plurality of arched support members arranged radially around a central ring forming a dome covering a space such as a stadium or arena. The structure disclosed by Geiger et al . depends on the closely radially spaced cables which connect between the ring and the perimeter frame and several struts or compression members between the perimeter frame and the ring to support the roof canopy. The structure of Geiger et al. cannot be rodularly expanded and is designed to cover extremely large areas such as stadiums and arenas.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a tent structure that is mechanically simple, easy to manufacture and easy to erect.
It is a further object of this invention to provide; tent structure that allows free movement under the canopy without the interference of ground extending poles.
It is a further object of this invention to provide tent structure that car be modularly expanded.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a tent structure with a low wind profile and excellent water shedding.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a tent structure with a drainage system integrated into the frame.
These and other objects of the invention are provided in an improved tent structure which includes a perimeter frame preferably assembled from a plurality of perimeter frame members and corner assemblies, a flexible roof canopy attached around its periphery to the perimeter frame, corner columns attached to the perimeter frame, a cable network comprising radially directed cables attached at one end of the perimeter frame and at the other end to a centrally disposed cable, and a plurality of flying masts resting on the cable network and supporting the roof canopy thereby forming the peaks.
The centrally disposed cable can be detachable secured to itself. Utilizing the cable network, it is relatively easy to erect the tent structure and tension the canopy; the ends of the centrally disposed cabke are simply brought together and secured. Also, the cable network reduces the tension necessary to support the flying masts as compared to diagonally connected cables. Multiple flying masts allow the load of the roof canopy to be distributed over several masts resulting in the flying masts being smaller in size and shorter in length than a single mast, thereby contributing to the tent structure""s ease of erection and lower wind profile. Further, the cable network allows the flying masts to be located away from the center and towards the corners of the tent structure permitting the tent structure to span a larger area than would be possible with only a single large mast.
Located in the corner assemblies of the tent structure are scuppers. Rain water flows from the roof canopy, along the perimeter frame to the corners of the tent structure. The rainwater is channeled into the scuppers of the corner assemblies, then down through the hollow center of the corner columns to the ground. This provides the tent structure with a gutter system which prevents the pooling of water on the roof canopy of the tent structure and channels the rain water away from the edges of the tent structure.
The tent structure of the above described design can be modularly expanded in order to span relatively large areas.